Many software applications allow users to create workflows (i.e., business processes) which may require input from multiple users in an online computing environment. For example, a workflow may be used to send an electronically generated expense report form which requires approval from one or more persons in a business unit. The workflow may provide options for the “approver” to either approve the expense report or alternatively, reject the expense report and return the form back to the requester for modification.
Current workflow software applications however, suffer from several drawbacks. One drawback is that workflows generated by current software applications are pre-defined and limit the actions which a user may make (e.g., the workflow may allow only “approve” or “reject” actions). Furthermore, custom actions (such as conditional approvals) cannot be added to predefined workflows without the writing of software code which is often beyond the expertise of all but the most technical of users (e.g., information technology professionals). As a result, less technical users (e.g., information workers) are unable to define custom workflow actions without learning to write software code and thus are limited to the actions provided in pre-defined workflows. Another drawback is that workflows generated by current software applications cannot be shared among diverse users in a shared computing environment due to various technical constraints, including an inability to track a current location of a workflow so that relevant data may be accessed in the shared environment. It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments of the present invention have been made.